How to Set Up Multiple Domains on a Web Server

If you have a home computer that functions as a Web server, you may want to set up multiple domains. This may sound complicated, but you can do it with a little bit of knowledge and some software. It should only take a few minutes to set up your multiple domains.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access
• Operating software and web server software
• Web server
• Router

1. Shut down any software firewalls you have running on your Web server. Install an HTTP server program such as Apache HTTP Server.
2. Create a directory on your Web server. The directory should be a sub-folder in the Web server directories folder. Usually the directories folder is called "htdocs."
3. Edit the virtual hosts section of the configuration directory of your Web server. If you have Apache version 1, then edit the "vhosts" section of the "apache.conf" file.
4. Add a new virtual host by entering the following commands in the "vhosts" section:
   
   ServerName DOMAIN NAME
   DocumentRoot FULL_PATH_TO_DIRECTORY
   
   Save your changes.
5. Restart Apache and edit the ".conf" file. Add and entry for each new domain you wish to set up. Here is an example:
   zone "DOMAIN" IN {
   type master;
   file "LOCATION_OF_DB_FILE";
   allow-transfer { IP_ADDRESS; };
   };
6. Create a db file for each new domain. One easy way to do this is to copy other db files and add a new domain, then save it as a new file.
7. Reload your DNS and test the new domain in a Web browser. If everything was done correctly, your new domain should be working work.

Tips & Warnings

• Make back up copies of your Apache files—such as your configuration directory—before changing them.
• As with any Web server that operates 24 hours a day, make sure you have a hardware firewall on your router at all times.

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